232 The Story of the New England Whalers 



by a harpoon, but not killed by the attached 

 bomb, the wounded animal plunges to the bottom 

 or swims away at its utmost speed. At this time 

 the man at the winch pays out as much line as 

 he must, but keeps a heavy strain on it. When 

 the whale slackens its speed, or in any way eases 

 the strain, the line is wound in, but only to let it 

 out again, if the whale makes another plunge. 

 The man at the winch literally plays the whale as 

 a rod fisherman plays a trout or salmon, until it 

 is finally brought within reach of another bomb. 



As the models of harpoon and spear were de- 

 veloped from the arrow and the spear of the abo- 

 rigines, so, it may be said, the whale boat is but a 

 larger and stronger birch-bark canoe. The first 

 civilized whalers of America used such boats as 

 were carried by the ships that crossed the sea. 

 But from Long Island to the coast of Maine the 

 colonial whalers had ever before them the light- 

 weight canoes, sharp at both ends, that were 

 used by the red whalers. The Indians in their 

 canoes dashed in alongside the whale, plunged 

 home their weapons, and then, with a stroke of 

 the paddle, turned away, dodging the flukes and 



